The Cat's Eye Triad
by Chance O'Neal
Summary: Just when the vile Slade seemed to let up, another group makes their appearence in Gotham City. With apparently no loyalty towards any other than their boss, This group has but one goal; Subjigate the Teen Titans, and dispose of any that get in the way.
1. Mysterious Attacker!

Disclaimer: I own not the franchise of Teen Titans. Wish I did. However, Original characters are present in this work.  
  
Does any one know what the name of the main city is? I think its Gotham, but Please tell me if it isn't. Read and Enjoy the fic, That is all I can say for now. Reviews are appreciated.  
  
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The Cat's Eye Triad  
  
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Chapter 1: Mysterious Attacker!  
  
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Gotham City: 10:00 P.M.  
  
Sirens blared behind the lumbering giant as he ran forward, ignoring the police cars entirely. For the one known as Cinderblock, these vehicles were nothing more than obstacles, waiting to be moved.  
  
The stone goliath had had an eventful night indeed. Slade, his armored, mysterious boss, had ordered him to obtain an item from the Museum of Historical Artifacts, a peculiar and supposedly cursed helmet. Cinderblock didn't know what it was, but he took care not to damage it as he rampaged through Gotham, seemingly unstoppable.  
  
Policemen fired at him with negatively charged laser guns (Ion Guns). The beams of energy did nothing more than annoy the stone humanoid. Cinderblock disposed of the gnats by using a white Mustang as a thowing projectile, knocking all the officials on their backs, out cold.   
  
Other officials soon joined the fray. One leapt onto Cinderblock's back, trying to choke him, as another rushed in with a bull tackle. Even more annoyed, Cinderblock swatted the foolish policeman away with his free arm (The other was holding a duffelbag with the Helm), and grabbed the other officer by the scruff of his neck, and tossed him aside.  
  
Cinderblock rammed his rock-solid body through a barricade of officers, police cars, and even some innocent bystanders, in an attempt to get away from the gnats following him. NO ONE must seem his reach Slade's hideout.  
  
To his luck, the stone behemoth's pursuers halted their capture attempt. Unfortunately, Cinderblock overheard one of the officers requesting the aid of the Teen Titans, the do-gooder brats who defeated him last time. Wasting no more time, Cinderblock jumped high, leaping over a considerable distance in order to get to Slade quickly.  
  
Cinderblock continued his bounding pace southward, until he stopped near an abandoned warehouse. Feeling he was safe from the Titans for now, He reached into the duffel bag to inspect the stolen helm, and see that no damage came to it.  
  
"Hey Cinderblock, Trying to search for family in that museum?"  
  
The stone goliath turned his head at the direction of the speaker, but he already knew whom it was.  
  
Standing no less than 20 yards away were the five members of the Teen Titans. The leader Robin, mask covering his eyes, yellow cape billowing in the western wind, observing the stone behemoth. To his left, the extraterrestrial girl, Starfire, her Starbolts already glowing in her fists. To Robin's right was the metal hybrid, Cyborg, Whose robotic eye was fixed on Cinderblock and his dark face painted into a smirk. To the machine man's right was the half-demon, the telekinetic Raven, glaring darkly from under her hood at Cinderblock. Lastly, To Starfire's left, the green-skinned shapechanger, Beastboy, grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
  
Cinderblock glowered at the fivesome; He did not need nor want to deal with these superheroes right now.  
  
"So, Cinderblock," Robin started,"Enjoy your walk around town? Maybe you'd like to mingle with the walls in your cell?" He asked. The rocky behemoth growled in response.  
  
"Well, What's it going to be? Are you going to come quietly?" Robin asked.  
  
"And please say you don't." Cyborg added.  
  
Cinderblock responded with another roar. Not taking any more of the Titans' taunts, Cinderblock, with the duffelbag still in hand, charged with fist raised.  
  
Cyborg was the first to move. With a flick of the wrist, his arm morphed into his Sonic Cannon, and fired the high-powered sonic blast at Cinderblock. The stone behemoth took the blast, but was repelled backwards. Robin intervened with an acrobatic kick to the face, knocking him back farther, but not getting Cinderblock to release the bag.  
  
Strarfire struck next, firing a flurry of starbolts at the villain. This time, Cinderblock braced himself, letting the orbs hit his lower arm. Beast Boy charged in the form of a rhino, but Cinderblock was waiting. The stone goliath grasped Beast Boy's horn and casually tossed him aside. Cyborg entered in the morpher's place, shoulder-charging Cinderblock back.   
  
Awaiting was Raven, who used her telekinetic powers to levitate a dumpster (With much strain, I ensure you) in preparation for a surprise attack. Cinderblock managed to fend off the half-metal teenager, and turned around.  
  
BAM!!!  
  
The dumpster knocks Cinderblock to the ground, finally getting him to loosen his grip on the duffelbag. Beast Boy, now in the form of a pterodactyl, caught it before it could touch the ground.  
  
Furious, Cinderblock picked himself up, but was immediately greeted by Cyborg's hook punch. The metal titan continued to pound on him for three more minutes, before Cinderblock threw him clean off. Cyborg tried to charge again, but the stone goliath lifted the metal titan over his head. Surveying his opposition, He launched Cyborg right into Beast Boy, knocking him to the ground and once more sending the duffelbag skyward.   
  
Starfire saw the sack holding the stolen item, and tried to retrieve it. Cinderblock (Though a bit slow in the head) second-guessed her, and grabbed her leg before she could get out of reach. He then spun around and threw her towards Raven, and the two female titans collided. The artifact then fell right into Cinderblock's rocky hands.  
  
Robin, the only titan standing currently, ran towards the much taller villain. Robin leapt and delivered a front kick to the behemoth's face, knocking him back. Seeing where this was going, Cinderblock rammed his head into Robin's sternum, following up with a burly backhand, sending him earthbound. The annoyed golem then ripped out a nearby streetlight, and readied it to crush the Boy Wonder's skull......   
  
.......Only to find it no longer in his hands.  
  
He looked up. The Streetlight was floating in midair and holding it there was the telepath Raven. Seeing an opportunity, Raven slammed the metal pole right into Cinderblock's face.   
  
Damaged, but not beaten, Cinderblock staggered before regaining his balance. He dashed at Raven, who responded by summoning a section of the asphalt to block the hit. The strip of concrete crumbled under the stone goliath's might, and he raised his free hand once more for a lethal blow.  
  
BANG!  
  
The Vibrations of Cyborg's Sonic Cannon Blast intercepted Cinderblock's punch, successfully repelling him. Beast Boy joined his cyber companion as he literally went ape and squared off in a test of strength. Cinderblock proved greater, and shoved him back. Raven aided her morphing friend with a sudden bombardment of paint cans, distracting the stone titan long enough for Beast Boy to pack a three-hook combo. Cyborg followed up with a second Sonic Blast.   
  
Cinderblock quickly grew tired of these do-gooders, and chose discretion over valor. He turned tale and fled in the opposite direction, with the loot still in hand. Robin, taking notice, told the Titans to pursue.  
  
Unfortunately for Cinderblock, speed was by no means his strong suit. He ran as fast as he could, but the Teen Titans were slowly gaining. The stone goliath grabbed various objects to stall or scatter them, but they either evaded or deflected the props with ease. Furious, Cinderblock then ran onto a busy street, with cars racing through like there wouldn't be a tomorrow.   
  
Cars screeched to a halt as Cinderblock passed. To the burly rock golem, these cars wouldn't have hindered him in the slightest. However, The Titans were being stalled by the traffic hazard, some vehicles colliding with one another. In the confusion, The Titans lost sight of Cinderblock, who seemed to vanish in the bedlam. Beast Boy wanted to follow, but was called back by the others.  
  
"But we don't even know what he stole yet! It could be worth thousands!" Beast Boy argued,"Besides, Cinderblock shouldn't be let loose!"  
  
"You think I don't know that! I had to bust my mecha-butt to catch him last time!" Cyborg retorted. During his temporary absence from the team, Cyborg had apprehended Cinderblock last time, but not without the element of surprise.  
  
"Relax Team," Robin came between the two before something harder than words was flung," Now is not the time to argue amongst ourselves. Cinderblock caused enough damage here."  
  
"Robin is right,"Starfire added, "The citizens are surely injured in this road ram."  
  
"That's Road Rage, Star," Beast Boy corrected. Starfire scratched the back of her head as she had once again showed here naivety of Earth. Raven, seeing their antics as 'pointless', used her telekinetic powers to help the unfortunate that collided, The others soon joining her. It would be an hour before they were done cleaning this mess, even with the aid of law enforcement. Despite Cinderblock getting away, they were able to do what they do best, and help those in need.  
  
But what the Teen Titans didn't realize, was that An unknown warrior would cross Cinderblock's path before the night was through.  
  
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Meanwhile......  
  
Elsewhere in the city, Cinderblock was indeed putting the pedal to the metal, as he continued his escape to Slade's hideout.  
  
Turning about in a darkened alley, The stone goliath rummaged through the brown duffelbag, making sure the helm was in good condition. He then swung the bag over his shoulder, and trudged forward.  
  
That is, until a voice from the dark questioned the giant.  
  
"Going somewhere?" The voice, callous to the tongue, taunted.  
  
Cinderblock whirled around, glancing for any movements in the night. The voice laughed at the attempts.  
  
"Ha Ha Ha Ha! Looking for me? Don't bet on it! But I think I'll spare you the trouble. It'd be easier to get down to business that way." The voice said. A small thud announced the voice's landing, and slow patterned taps signaled the steady walking of the lurker in the shadows. He stepped into the lumination.  
  
The figure with the callous tongue was dwarfed by Cinderblock's bulk, with a black fedora which covered his left eye. The remainder of his face (Nose & Mouth) was blanketed by the hat he wore. His clothes consisted of miniature, glistening black tuxedo, but one could notice something red-orange and blue underneath. However, most noticeable was his hands, which were catlike, but with digits like man, and the uncovered eye, which shined like a puma's.  
  
Naturally, Cinderblock didn't fear this smaller threat, even though the tux-clad fellow was smiling under his hat.  
  
"Well, Well, Well, The golem does trot down Rocky Road. I wonder, What kind of paydirt did you soil?" The small man (or creature) pointed to the duffelbag. Realizing his intentions, Cinderblock drew back and roared.  
  
The humanoid replied spitefully,"Aw come now. All I want is that little cursed helmet you got for your boss. Are you afraid the Hazel & Gretel team will snatch it? If so, They you're worrying about the wrong McCoys."   
  
Cinderblock roared once more. He was becoming infuriated with this small obstacle, and any that stand his way, shall be crushed! Cinderblock reared his burly fist back, and threw it at the small fry's face.  
  
The fist never hit its target.  
  
Before The knuckles of Cinderblock touched the small one, a third hand, a big, white, furry hand, reached out from the dark and grasped Cinderblock's wrist, stopping his attempt.  
  
The stone goliath roared in confusion. Not even a Teen Titan could stop his punch; How could this fellow then?  
  
"Cinderblock, say hello to my friend. His name....Oswald. Lee Harvey Oswald." The feline humanoid said. Cinderblock Stared at where the tiger arm was jutting from. He couldn't make out much, but the stone goliath could clearly see a single feline eye, tinted jade.   
  
His focus on the monolithic catman cost the stone goliath. The moment his eyes left the smaller figure, the tuxedo-clad fellow snatched the duffelbag from his rocky grip. Taking notice, Cinderblock reached for him, only to have that hand grabbed by the silent watcher.  
  
"I hope your boss doesn't mind if I take this. One-Eyed Jack here and I need this for our job, and I have yet to accept failure." The smaller figure tossed his fedora off a ran away. Cinderblock, enraged by this sudden turn of events, threw off the one called Oswald and gave chase.  
  
Unfortunately, The thief was much faster. By the time Cinderblock reached him, the short catman was already climbing up an apartment building with the duffelbag in hand. He looked down at the stone goliath, and taunted him again.  
  
"What's the matter? Stoneheads can't jump? Or are you unable to keep up with Shard?" The theif(Apparently Shard) laughed at Cinderblock. "And to think, The Titans as one couldn't stop you! If that's the case, Masamune would have no problem walking all over them.  
  
"Oh, You don't know who Masamune is?" Shard asked teasingly,"Well, the answer is......BEHIND YOU!!"  
  
BAMM!  
  
Cinderblock, for the second time this night, felt like a ton of bricks smacked him in the face. This time, however, It was a fist that felt like a battering ram.   
  
The puncher finally stepped into the light. Masamune/Lee Harvey Oswald/One-Eyed Jack (whatever his name was) stood at about eight feet tall and possessed the feature of a white tiger (Whiskers, cat's eye, big teeth, etc.). He wore a tattered, royal purple cape, a cyan sleeveless shirt, and aquamarine pants. He was a gorilla of a beast, His shoes were simple enormous, and his white fur (Complete with black stripes) shined in the night. The Most noticeable feature, though, was a piece of cloth that covered his right eye, while his left eye glowed jade.  
  
Cinderblock was irate; These two had beleaguered his road long enough. Now, He decided, These cat people will pay!   
  
Cinderblock charged with a mighty haymaker to the chin. Masamune took the blow, and didn't reel from the pain. In fact, he didn't seem to feel ANY pain.   
  
Cinderblock wasn't discouraged. The golem launched a steady barrage of blows to the tiger's body. Masamune reacted to each blow, this time feeling the cement fists as they came. Yet, The Tiger titan did not react, but waited.  
  
Shard, now on the rooftops, chuckled at the sight before him. He called out to his comrade,"Masamune! Gone make a mess now! I'll see you later, after I take this booty to the boss!" The cat jester ran to the East, bounding over rooftops and whistling "Skippy-di-do-da" as he went.  
  
Masamune turned back to Cinderblock, whose eyes smoldered with hate. The tiger beast merely gestured, instructing him to "Bring it on." Cinderblock, who was determined to make the Tiger suffer (In spite of the fact that most of his blows had no effect), obliged him.  
  
Cinderblock started with a body punch, which the one-eyed tiger caught. The stone goliath then aimed for his face with his other fist, which made the one-eyed tiger stagger. Cinderblock bull-rushed Masamune, hitting him with the power of a bulldozer, and launching him into a brickwall. The villain didn't stop there; As the tiger titan picked himself up, Cinderblock landed blow after blow on his back, further racking damage on this 'insect'.  
  
Masamune, who was also getting annoyed, rose quickly with a burst of strength, forcing back the angry golem. He charged with a bone-crunching fist, chipping pieces of Cinderblock's frame apart. The gray villain struck back with a quake that ruptured the ground, making Masamune lose his balance. Cinderblock stomped repeatedly on his chest, hoping that his ribcage would shatter under his weight.  
  
The one-eyed tiger wasn't finished, however. Masamune gripped the rectangular foot before it could connect and tossed his foe aside. The tiger juggernaut attacked quickly, before Cinderblock could counter, and rammed him into the brickwall. Masamune continued his pummeling with ferocious punches to the face and upper torso, finishing with a potent right straight to his rocky visage, picking off a slab of his head. Cinderblock collapsed to the ground from this astonishing display of brutality.   
  
Masamune, fueled with harnessed aggression, continued his brutal assault, clenching his giant hand on the rigid face of Cinderblock, landing multiple straights to the face. The tiger titan lifted up the beaten Cinderblock in an overhead bench press, spun him around in midair, and then dropped the golem headfirst unto the concrete (A/N: For you wresting fans, This is Brock Lesnar's F-5, and I do not own that either) with awesome strength.   
  
The Tiger titan strode to the head of the villain, undoubtedly unconscious. Masamune, feeling it necessary to end this leave a mark, rose his right leg vertically. A moment later, The tiger titan dropped his heel down on Cinderblock's face with the strength of a volcanic eruption. Pieces of Cinderblock's visage broke off, flying in all cardinal and incardinal directions.   
  
There was no doubt about it; Cinderblock wasn't going to any charity balls anytime soon.  
  
Even so, Masamune was suspicious and wary. He kicked the golem's side several times; No response from the cement-bodied villain. He heard no sounds of breathing, But Cinderblock seemed unable to respiration, and he doubted the villain had an actual heart. Feeling that his job was complete, The Tiger titan walked to the shadows, towards the East, heading wherever his comrade Shard was off to.  
  
Masamune's antics did not go unnoticed by the general public. People heard the sounds of the tiger's wrath like tremors. However, Not one of the listeners saw the face of Masamune.  
  
One fellow, awoke by the sounds of the night, came out. Riding in a wheelchair and draped in an aqua-green robe, a teenager sought to find out what was the matter. He came across the fallen villian Cinderblock, and was astounded to see this kind of damage done to such a robust adversary. The youth thought the Titans were responisble, but he quickly dismissed the thought; The Teen Titans were not likely to go this far, even on an enemy.   
  
Realizing the importance of this, The youth rolled himself back into his home, picked up the phone, and dialed 911.   
  
It wouldn't be until morning before someone came to inspect the catashrophe that took place, created by an unknown hand. And it wouldn't be until much later, that the Titans came face-to-face with this animalistic engine of power.  
  
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End Chapter. 


	2. AfterMath of Wrath

Disclaimer: I own not the franchise of Teen Titans. Wish I did. However, Original characters Masamune and Shard Katal are both of my ownership. I don't mind their usage by another, but at least ask first.  
  
Last Time: Cinderblock's rampage gathered the attention of many: The law enforcement, the Teen Titans, and even some peculiarities! The stone giant eluded the Titans, but ran out of the frying pan and in the fire when two alien-like assailants blocked his path. One of them, the fast-tongued Shard, wrenched the item of importance (A cursed helmet with historical properties) from Cinderblock, and the other, a silent brute named Masamune, smashed the rockheaded villain into dust. However, their presence wasn't subtle enough......  
  
The Cat's Eye Triad  
  
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Chapter 2: Aftermath of Wrath  
  
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Gotham City  
  
Morning came to the city of Gotham, a city which is daily and nightly plagued by the minds of evil and the fists of chaos. Yet, on this day in autumn, chaos seemed to bow out of the dance of life right now.  
  
Chaos, apparently, had already left its mark.  
  
In the southern part of Gotham, a youth by the name of Owen Zimmerman, awoke at almost midnight to find a very big surprise in a nearby alley.  
  
That surprise was in fact, The villain Cinderblock.  
  
In shock, Owen immediately called the police. Unfortunately, he didn't get an answer until almost two in the morning. The officers told him that they would be over there by 9:00, with the aid of the Teen Titans. Though Relieved, the youth wasn't necessarily willing to sleep after this sight. As day came, the police came to the home ran by Owen, and studied the body.  
  
It wasn't long before Teen Titans Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin arrived. Needless to say, Owen Light was grateful for their appearance.  
  
"Thank goodness you're here! Any longer with the coppers and I'd lose my mind!" The ebony-haired youth said in greeting. Owen was the same age as the other titans, but he possessed a mind of ambition and responsibility. This was good, for he was left in charge of his business, an arcade, after the hospitalization of his father (He lives in the Arcade). His eyes shone a copper glow, and his clothes were of a casual sense, but he was most noticeable for the wheel chair he was marooned in. He apparently had no feeling in his legs, but that didn't damper his resolve.  
  
The police seemed to do that enough.  
  
"Hey Owen! How ya been?" Cyborg said, greeting him like a customer to a favored proprietor.  
  
"I've been holding up well, Thank you, but I've had my work cut out for me as it is right now." Owen said, scratching the back of his neck.  
  
"The body's over there?" Robin interrupted, pointing to where a large congregation of bluesuits(coppers) were huddled around a large....something.  
  
"Yeah. Go if you want, but those coppers are edgy. Mustn't have had their coffee today." Owen replied. Starfire and Robin then proceeded over to where the body of the stone goliath lay. Cyborg, on the other hand, chose to chew the fat with his friend.  
  
"Told the cops what happened?" Cyborg asked, striking a conversation with the lame youth.  
  
"Everything I know, And yet they still think I played a bigger role in this fiasco."  
  
"Whadda ya mean a bigger role?" The metal giant asked. Owen merely shrugged.  
  
"They think I have that 'priceless' artifact that Cinderblock bungled last night, And I bet this assumption is all because of my heritage."  
  
"Well, Cyborg scratched his bald head,"I can see where they can get that idea."  
  
Owen seethed,"Cyborg! Just because my father was Dr. Light doesn't automatically make me a criminal!" Owen calmed down before continuing, "Besides, I couldn't steal if my life depended on it. I'm chained to this wheel chair for the moment."  
  
Cyborg turned his eyes to the lifeless Cinderblock."So what happened, anyway?" He asked.  
  
"Quite a struggle from what I heard." Owen responded.  
  
"How?" The cybernetic hero questioned. He knew Cinderblock was a ferocious and formidable foe.  
  
"I don't know who did it, but there were at least two of them. I heard one keep flapping his yap, taunting Cementman like a carni-clown. Sounded like Beast Boy, only with deep malice. I think this guy took the helm and ran, leaving Cinderblock behind."  
  
"Then who stopped Cinderblock?" Cyborg asked.  
  
"The second assailant. Didn't hear this one speak, though. He made growling noises, like some big cat in Africa. However, If this guy was truly alone, then all I got to say is this: Cinderblock didn't see it coming."  
  
The half-mechanical teen then noticed something else,"What's with the imprint in the ground?"  
  
"Cinderblock's head. Must've been dropped ten feet from the air headfirst. Either he was levitated, or he was lifted physically, and I can't fathom either choice."  
  
Cyborg's eyes widened. Though he mentally agreed that it was practically inconceivable for Cinderblock to be picked up and dropped, as even he hadn't the power, something in the back of his cybernetic brain told him that someone had definitely done the impossible. "Who do you think did this?" He asked.  
  
"I would say Plasmus, but he's locked up at the moment," Owen rubbed his chin, "or it might be some new vigilante. I'm not sure, but I think this was a message."  
  
"And what would that be?" The titanium-armored teenager said.  
  
"I'm coming for you." The son of Dr. Light replied darkly, imitating what he felt the voice of the assailant would be.  
  
"But I may just be wrong!" Owen said quickly, shifting his attitude to a more bright tone. "Maybe the Justice League came down and swatted the golem, eh?" Owen was attempting to make his friend forget the possibility of a strong, ominous foe. Unfortunately, he wasn't succeeding at all.  
  
"So A newbie wants to mess with us? I'll gladly toss out the welcoming mat," Cyborg cried, almost in anticipation. Owen promptly slapped his forehead.  
  
"Don't underestimate this person! We don't even know what he looks like!" The handicapped youth pleaded, but it was to no avail. Cyborg was now riled up for the unknown foe.  
  
"Doesn't matter. The Titans will still beat him." Cyborg said, now more calmly.  
  
"For goodness sake! Look at what we know! Whoever did this must have had the power of a locomotive! And it took all five of you to beat Cinderblock last time; The cement head got bulldozed last night! Please don't charge head first." Owen pleaded once more.  
  
"Look, after this, I don't think we got a choice. We will eventually cross paths, and when we do, the Teen Titans will toss him in jail." Cyborg declared.  
  
Owen merely shook his head,"Fine, my friend; Just remember that there was a duo, not a solo fighter last night. See ya around."   
  
Owen Light then grabbed his wheels and rolled himself into the arcade. Cyborg looked and joined Robin and Starfire, whom had been questioning the police. Cyborg was in deep thought, as his bravery faded as he got a clear look at the fallen golem.  
  
His face looked like it had a jackhammer worked on it. Large chunks and chips of his body lay scattered across the alleyway. Cinderblock was tough, but even Cyborg began to see why Owen had wanted the Titans not to chase after the duo of destruction: His faith in the adolescent superheroes was beginning to waver at this sight.  
  
Still, that wouldn't effect Cyborg's confidence. Not yet.  
  
Meanwhile, Robin and Starfire were wrapping up their conversation with the head police officer, a portly, red-bearded man with a heavy Scottish accent.  
  
"Well, I think that is eve'ything, young lad. If you're friends need any help, The force would be glad to give you laddies a hand." The head policeman said.  
  
"Thanks for everything Lt. McGregor," Robin said in return to the red-faced officer. Though he seemed a bit boisterous, he had given a decent amount of information to the Titans.  
  
"No problem, sonny. No if you'll will excuse me, I've got a boulder to jail." The Lieutenant said, saluting, before turning to his fellow officers.  
  
"So, what's the problem?" Cyborg asked the leader of the Titans. Starfire answered in response.  
  
"Robin says that we should wait until we get back into the Tower to say this." The alien girl replied.  
  
"Why is that? " Cyborg questioned.  
  
Robin spoke next,"Because what the police told me is a bit disturbing........."  
  
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Meanwhile........  
  
In an abandoned warehouse, two figures remain silent as the day passes on.  
  
Well, one at least.  
  
"Hey, Hey, Hey, Its Fat Cat Albert!"   
  
Though isolated for a while, ever since the Titans' battle with the manipulative Puppet King, The warehouse had remained utterly isolated, occupied only by silence and lone machinations. This fact made it ideal for a temporary hideout for two aliens, Namely, The Dastardly Duo, Shard and Masamune.  
  
The smaller of the two, Shard, was no longer donned in his tuxedo that he wore the night before. Instead, He was clothed in a body suit with a light, orange padding over his chest and the rest, from his abdomen to his ankles, a brilliant azure. The blue part of his suit also covered his upper arms, but his furred, catlike hands and feet jutted out. Also, He possessed a small helm which was also orange, adorned with four spikes, and covered his left eye. Apparently, he was speaking on a cellphone, and his laid-back, joker-style attitude was as flamboyantly displayed as ever.  
  
"Yo bosscat!" Shard said into the receiver,"You got everything under control on that train?"  
  
"You know I do, Shard Katal. What about you?" The voice on the other line was collected, picking its (It sounded like a male) words like a they were in a pear tree.   
  
"Ah, One-Eyed Jack and I are in this creepy but crappie warehouse. Looks like the assembly line for Mustangs here." Shard replied, scratching his feline ears.  
  
"At least your face wasn't planted on the news." The other line replied.  
  
"Heh, well you said 'work subtlety.'"  
  
"I wouldn't call the massacre Masamune did to the golem 'subtle.' I'd call that a bloodbath, But still, you were not seen."  
  
"Hey,Hey,Hey! Its not that big!" Shard Katal said in defense.  
  
  
  
"Not Big!? Not Big!? Masamune's attack is on ten News channels as we speak!! Of course its big news!" The boss of Shard argued, a hint of displeasure in his voice.  
  
"My, My, Aren't we calm?" Shard said sarcastically. There was a short pause before the third associate spoke once more.  
  
"You know what our job is. We have our targets in Gotham. As soon as I bring this ancient helmet to Jaeger (Pronounced [Yae Gar)), I'll be heading back there by train. Do NOT apprehend our targets until my return."   
  
"Awwwww! Why?!" The cat-man complained.  
  
"You're not the only Var' Shir whom desires a contest. These targets will be quite interesting, probably more so that the Crimson Foot that we bagged last time. Just keep Masamune in check. I'll be back in about seven days."   
  
"All right, All right. I'll keep my eye on him. Just show up soon, or I'll go mountain lion on your carcass."  
  
"Farewell, Shard." The voice said, before the phone on the other side shut off.  
  
Shard turned his phone off and promptly imitated a famous actor in a great phony accent,"Well, Now I've heard everything!" He dropped the accent and looked around,"Where are yas, Masamune?"  
  
The Var' Shir (As that was their species name) looked around in the warehouse, trying to spot his white tiger friend. It wasn't long before he found him, but in a fashion he did not expect.  
  
Masamune was sitting on the cold concrete, leaning against the droll walls. It appeared that the silent brute had gone into a frenzy in Shard's absence: Steel beams had been bent, chunks of the wall had either been ripped out or imprinted with a giant fist mark, and even a forklift was damaged, turned completely upside-down. The eight foot tall animal responsible seemed docile at the moment, but Shard was puzzled. Why would Masamune fling himself into a berserk style without provocation? No one, apart from himself, was in the warehouse.  
  
"Yo, big guy!" Shard called to him. Masamune gave no implication that he heard him, either asleep or just plain ignorance. Shard looked again at his one-eyed comrade and noticed a black briefcase firmly clutched in his right hand.  
  
"Hey, Oswald!" The shorter Var' Shir said, raising his voice. This got the tiger titan's attention, as his eye flashed open. He glared at his comrade, and the edge of his mouth curled opened, pearly, white teeth glinting, as he growled in annoyance.  
  
"Ah, C'mon! If I let ya sleep any longer, it'd be moontime by the moment you wake! Besides, I feel we should check around the city. What do ya say?"   
  
Shard was exaggerating his movements greatly as he spoke, making it appear almost like he was babying the silent giant. Masamune said nothing, but remained growling, not at all amused.  
  
"Hehehehe.....Where's your sense of humor? Besides, I'm getting tired of this stone linoleum and the doldrums its conjuring. Lets go before I have to drag ya."   
  
Masamune did not immediately get up, and continued to growl for a few more minutes. He eventually brought himself up to full height, greatly towering over his much shorter companion. His left eye bore down on Shard, giving him an even more intimidating appearance. Despite this, Shard showed no fear, and asked his comrade a mere question.  
  
"Hey, What's with the briefcase? Why aren't ya carrying your weapon case?" The smaller Var'Shir jerked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating a long, black briefcase, much bigger than the one in Masamune's hand. The eight-foot tiger merely roared loudly. He then shoved the case in hand right into Shard's face, making a silent message that said "Keep this then." The white tiger grabbed the larger case and walked away, into the sunlight that greeted him.  
  
"Was it something I said?" Shard mumbled under his breath, confused at His enormous companion's unvoiced antics. He didn't ponder this for long, as the puma-like Var' Shir quickly ran after the white tiger.  
  
"Wait up, you white-furred son of a gun!!" The short joker said, rushing to catch up with his comrade.   
  
Shard got outside and looked about him. No where did he see his enormous comrade, No trace of his glistening white fur. It was as if Masamune had vanished (Which Shard knew was impossible). Frantic, The Pumalike Var'Shir glanced around again, looking up, right, left, forward, backward, downward, but not succeeding in spotting his giant and unstable friend.  
  
"Darnit! Darnit! Where is he!?" He cried. The passersby paid no heed to his shout, nor did they find it odd that a creature that seemed to hail from the Isle of Dr. Monroe was in their presence.   
  
Shard seethed at the realization that his companion ditched him. He was greatly incensed at the fact that the silent white tiger had pulled one over his eyes. However, He saw that he had Masamune's extra briefcase. Though He could not open it (For Masamune had tightened the hinges), Shard knew that sooner or later, the Tiger Titan would come back to him.  
  
Still, That did not change the fact that he was thoroughly pissed off!  
  
"Darn you, You Tammany Tiger! I'll get you for this embarrassment!" Shard's tone then changed dramatically, to a more sly tone,"But Right after I check MacDonald's!" And with that, The small Var'Shir pressed something on his wrist, making new clothes, in this case a tilted bowler and a purple pinstripe suit, materialize over his samurai bodysuit. He then walked towards where he felt the local Fast Food restaurant was.  
  
Unbeknownst to him, Masamune was in the opposite direction that Shard was heading, almost in plain sight. The reason Shard did not spot him was his size and the fact that Masamune had been standing in front of a telephone booth. Also, Like with Shard, None of the civilians seemed to notice the white tiger's inhuman traits, but It was plausible that this came from people too immersed in their business.  
  
Either way, Masamune didn't care.   
  
As he walked northward on the sidewalks, by a street called Jackson Boulevard, He passed a Television shop and took notice of the News.  
  
"......And we're back with today's top story, Cinderblock's assaulter: Vigilante, Titan, or Power-hungry villain? " Masamune's ears twitched at the word 'titan',"It was discovered that the five Titans, on their testimony and Commissioner Jacob Gordon report, that no part of this vicious attack was done by any of them. It is thus believed that vigilante is the most likely answer to this harsh assault. It is likely that the Titans will come face to face with this person. Lt. McGregor, whom was investigating the scene, stated that it was highly likely that Owen Zimmerman, the son of renowned photologist and villain, Dr. Light, is responsible, yet Zimmerman refused to comment. It is also believed that the one responsible took a priceless artifact, from Cinderblock, Which is known as the Helm of Lethe, dating back to 14th century Europe. In other news....." At this point, Masamune ignored the rest, and continued up street.  
  
It was Shard Katal, as he knew, that took the Cursed Helm from Cinderblock. He didn't remember what his boss's reply was, but he knew The leopard was not anger nor joyed.   
  
Dismissing any further thoughts, the giant feline hoisted his case onto his shoulder, and continued on. He then noticed something in the distance, to his right, He turned.......  
  
......And spotted A T-shaped tower, The Titan's Tower.  
  
Masamune grinned. He may not have been ordered to kill, but he was still going to make them squirm and scream.  
  
The White tiger trudged nearer to his destination, the base of his targets.  
  
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End Chapter.  
  
Note: Pardon me if Raven and Beast Boy weren't present in this chapter, but I assure you readers that they will appear in the next update. Till Next Time. 


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